Finally today after all the talk about skipping a few queens for the past few letters, I am back with an empress for the letter N with Nur Jahan. While I read about and knew of Nur Jahan (aka Mehrunissa) from years ago as part of history texts and comics and more, I was even more enthralled and impressed by her when I read Indu Sundaresan’s fictional novels based on this empress – The Taj Trilogy including The Twentieth Wife.

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Nur Jahan: Her Narrative Inspires

Nur Jahan: A Name to Know!
In a time of kings and emperors
Where it was the men who wielded power,
One woman shattered ceilings
Showed all that women are capable of achieving.
Nur Jahan – light of the world – her name;
A true trailblazer in a man’s game.
Born Mehrunissa to a family of wealth and pride,
She was taught the skills to conquer and guide.
From poetry to archery, she learned it all,
Grew up to be a woman who stood proud and tall.
Married first at the age of seventeen,
She lost her husband after years thirteen.

Found herself in the Mughal court then
as lady-in-waiting to Ruqaiya Sultan Begum.
Protected from foes, she served for years four,
When Jahangir chanced upon her at the Meena bazaar.
He was taken by her charm and grace,
And soon she was the one who held his heart in place,
He called her Nur Jahan, light of the world,
She helped him rule, always strong and unruffled.
She proved her worth as a strategist and advisor,
A skillful diplomat, and a fierce fighter,
She designed gardens, commissioned art,
Built monuments, and played her part.
From Mehrunissa to Nur Jahan
A sun among women
to the light of the world
& to this day, that light hasn’t dulled!

Nur Jahan’s nerves were sure forged in fire,
A strength that many did and still do admire,
And I, as a person, do seek to find,
A strength like hers within my mind.
Inspiration builds my courage anew
With tales of hers and others, it’s true.
Nature also soothes my mind
Such as the exquisite passionflower, I find
Its petals hold a potent key,
To calm my nerves and set me free,
To write with courage, bold and bright,
And thus keep their memories alight.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Day 17 Prompts

The NaPoWriMo prompt for day 17 is below:

Begin by reading Sayuri Ayers’ poem “In the Season of Pink Ladies.” A pretty common piece of writing advice is that poets should know, and use, the precise names for things. Don’t say flower when you can say daisy. Don’t say bird when you mean a hawk. Today’s challenge asks you to write a poem that contains the name of a specific variety of edible plant – preferably one that grows in your area. In the poem, try to make a specific comparison between some aspect of the plant’s lifespan and your own – or the life of someone close to you. Also, include at least one repeating phrase.

The April PAD prompt for day 17 is to write a nerve poem. Some folks are nervous; others have some nerve; still others seem to get on everyone’s nerves.

Talked about nerves – check! A native edible plant and a repeating phrase – the passionflower for calm nerves and ‘light of the world’

References and Further Reading

• Wikipedia page on Nur Jahan
• Noor Jahan (Amar Chitra Katha)
• The Twentieth Wife (and the Taj Trilogy of books) by Indu Sundaresan
• Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan by Ruby Lal (Biography)
• The Teenage Diary of Nur Jahan {Mehr-Un-Nissa} by Deepa Agarwal (Children’s Fiction). A fictional take on her teenage years!

My N Books

No Matter the Distance

With this one, it is a read in progress but like with previous books I have read that deal with mental and emotional as well as physical health issues the protagonist is facing, it is taking me through a roller-coaster of feels. Sweet, heartwarming, and heart-wrenching so far, I know I am going to be reading this one to the end and wanting more.

And Now, the End of the Post

Linking up to BlogChatterA2Z, Blogging from A-to-Z April Challenge, NaPoWriMo, and the Ultimate Blog Challenge.